Method and apparatus for playing a game

ABSTRACT

A game in which one stand is used for each team, the stand having at least two cross bars. Teams take turns throwing a game piece, a “bola,” at the stand(s), trying to hang the bola on one or more bars, and are awarded points based on which bars are engaged by the bola(s). Teams can be individual players or multiple players, and each team or even each player can have multiple bolas.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not applicable.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY

There are many outdoor games on the market, each offering aspects of skill and pleasure. Many such outdoor games require permanent equipment installations or have cumbersome temporary equipment installations involving complicated assembly and disassembly.

Embodiments offer a new, challenging game employing easily assembled and disassembled, light weight equipment in the form of one or more stands and a plurality of playing pieces. The equipment can be packed into a carrier, such as a carrying bag, and easily transported. The playing piece is referred to as a bola and includes two balls connected by a length of strapping, rope, cable, wire, or the like such that it can be thrown from a playing distance at an assembled stand to try to score points. In embodiments, an exact desired point value must be achieved to win, with a team exceeding the desired point value having its score reset to a setback value. Points are awarded based on which bar or bars of a stand about which a player can wrap the bola(s) thrown on his/her turn. Embodiments contemplate one or more players on each team and can employ a single stand at which teams take turns throwing their bolas, or can employ a stand for each team. Preferably, two stands are employed and are separated by about the playing distance.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows an isometric view of a stand according to embodiments.

FIG. 2 shows a side elevation of a stand according to embodiments.

FIG. 3 shows a plan view of a stand according to embodiments.

FIG. 4 shows a play piece according to embodiments.

FIG. 5 shows two stands with their front cross pieces separated by the playing distance, a player standing at the front cross piece of one to throw at the other.

DESCRIPTION

The equipment for the game in embodiments includes two stands 1, each of which can be configured like the stand shown in FIGS. 1-3. Each stand 1 comprises a frame with a support portion 10 and an upright portion 20. The support portion comprises two parallel support bars 11 joined at their front ends by a cross piece 12. Embodiments can have another cross piece at their back ends, though embodiments can also have caps on the back ends of the support bars 11. The upright portion 20 comprises two parallel upright bars 21 extending from the support bars 11 and dividing the support bars into front and rear foot portions 13, 14. The upright bars 21 are joined at their tops by a top cross bar 22, and include at least a first cross bar 23 between the top bar 22 and the support portion 10. Preferably, there are a total of three cross bars between the upright bars including the top bar 22 and first and second horizontal bars 23, 24, the spacing between the top bar 22 and the first bar 23 being a first distance, the spacing between the first bar 23 and the second bar 24 being a second distance, and the spacing between the second bar 24 and the ground or the support portion 10 being a third distance. Embodiments preferably also include at least one stiffening cross piece 15 between the support bars 11 in their front foot portion 13 between the front cross piece 12 and the point from which the upright bars 21 project. An additional stiffening cross piece 16 can be included at the point from which the upright bars 21 project. The front foot portions 13 are preferably longer than the back foot portions 14, the back foot portions 14 acting primarily to prevent the stand 1 from tipping backward.

All pieces of the stand 1 can advantageously be made from PVC pipe for lightweight, yet sturdy, construction. Further, the pieces are preferably sized so that the entire disassembled stand 1 can be easily packed in a carry case or bag (not shown) for transport from play location to storage and back. Connectors, such as elbow connectors 2 and tee connectors 3, are employed to join the support bars 11 to the end piece(s) 12, stiffening cross piece(s) 15, 16, and uprights 21, as well as to connect the cross bars 22, 23, 24 to the uprights 21. More specifically and preferably, the end piece(s) 12 are connected to the support bars 11 with elbow connectors 2, as is the top bar 22 to the uprights 21, the remaining cross bars 23, 24 and stiffening cross piece(s) 15, 16 are connected to the uprights 21 and support bars 11 with tee connectors 3, and the uprights 21 are connected to the support bars 11 with tee connectors 3.

The different bars 22, 23, 24 across the uprights preferably include indicia 25, 26, 27 to mark them as having different point values for play and to aid in assembly of the stand. For example, the top bar 22 can have first indicia 25, such as blue markings, representing a first point value, the first bar 23 can have second indicia, such as green markings, representing a second point value, and the second bar 24 can have third indicia 27, such as red markings, representing a third point value. In play, one or more playing pieces 40, such as that shown in FIG. 4 and herein referred to as a “bola,” is thrown at a stand 1 from a playing distance in an attempt to score as many points as possible. A turn for a player could include, for example, three throws, and the playing distance is preferably from 30 to 70 feet, with 50 feet being a preferred playing distance. The playing distance can be reduced for players of lower skill or of lesser age. For example, when children are playing, the paying distance can be reduced to 25 feet. If the player is able to wrap a single bola around more than one of the top, first, and or second bars 22, 23, 24, the player receives the total number of points represented by the bars. In embodiments, the first distance is more than the second distance, and both are less than the length of the bola. However, to make the game more challenging, the first distance can be more than the length of the bola. Preferably, the first distance is 14 inches, the second distance is 12 inches, and the third distance is 18 inches when the length of the bola strap is 15 inches.

While the game can be played with a single stand 1 with teams taking turns at throwing their bolas 40 at the one stand 1, embodiments also comprise providing one stand 1 for each team. For example, as seen in FIG. 5, two teams can play using two stands 1, 1′ set up facing each other so that their front cross pieces 12, 12′ are separated by the play distance. One team then stands at the front cross piece 12 of the first stand 1, throwing their bolas 40 at the second stand 1′, while the other team stands at the front cross piece 12′ of the second stand 1′, throwing their bolas 40 at the first stand 1. It should be noted that the teams can be single players or multiple players.

The bola 40 preferably comprises two weights 41 connected by a connecting member 42, such as a length of rope, strapping, cable, wire, or the like 42. In embodiments, such as the example shown in FIG. 4, the weights 41 are golf balls and are connected to a strap 42. Preferably, the connecting member 42 simply passes through bores in the balls. The returning portion 43 of the connecting member 42 can be secured, such as by a knot, by attaching it to the main body of the connecting member 42, or by another suitable manner, such as stitching 44.

To play, teams take turns throwing their bolas until one team reaches a desired number of points. In embodiments, the desired number of points is 100, but this could vary. Further, embodiments provide that if a team exceeds the desired number of points, the team does not will, but returns to a setback point value. In embodiments, particularly embodiments in which the desired point value is 100, the setback point value can be 50. Thus, in more challenging embodiments, a team must score exactly the desired point value in order to win.

It will be appreciated that various of the above-disclosed and other features and functions, or alternatives thereof, may be desirably combined into many other different systems or applications. It will also be appreciated that various presently unforeseen or unanticipated alternatives, modifications, variations or improvements therein may be subsequently made by those skilled in the art which are also intended to be encompassed by the following claims. 

1. Game equipment including at least one stand comprising: two parallel support bars; two parallel upright bars connected to respective support bars; a top bar connected to the tops of the upright bars; and at least one additional bar extending from one upright bar to the other.
 2. The game equipment of claim 1 further comprising at least one stiffening cross piece extending from one support bar to the other support bar between front ends of the support bars and the upright bars.
 3. The game equipment of claim 1 further comprising indicia on the top bar and the at least one additional bar, the indicia signifying point values.
 4. The game equipment of claim 1 wherein the upright bar connection divides the support bars into front and back foot portions, the back foot portions being shorter than the front foot portion.
 5. The game equipment of claim 1 comprising two stands arranged with their support bar front ends facing each other and separated by a playing distance.
 6. The game equipment of claim 1 further comprising a playing piece comprising two weights connected by a length of flexible material.
 7. The game equipment of claim 6 wherein the weights are balls.
 8. The game equipment of claim 6 wherein the flexible material is a strap.
 9. A game play method comprising: providing at least one game stand with at least two cross bars extending between uprights, each cross bar having a point value assigned thereto; providing at least one playing piece; standing at a playing distance from one of the at least one game stand; throwing the at least one playing piece at the one game stand, aiming to hang the at least one playing piece on at least one of the at least two cross bars; and tallying a number of points scored based on the point value of each bar on which the at least one playing piece hangs.
 10. The method of claim 9 wherein at least one team of at least one member play the game.
 11. The method of claim 10 wherein at least three playing pieces are provided for each team playing the game, each team member carrying out standing, throwing, and tallying.
 12. The method of claim 9 further comprising repeating standing, throwing, and tallying until a desired score is achieved.
 13. The method of claim 12 further comprising setting back a team score if the desired score is exceeded.
 14. The method of claim 9 wherein providing at least two cross bars includes providing a top cross bar with a first point value and a first cross bar a first distance below the top cross bar with a second point value.
 15. The method of claim 14 wherein the first point value is lower than the second point value.
 16. The method of claim 14 wherein providing at least two cross bars further comprises providing a second cross bar a second distance below the first cross bar and having a third point value.
 17. The method of claim 16 wherein the first point value is lower than the second point value, which is lower than the third point value.
 18. The method of claim 16 wherein the second cross bar is a third distance above at least one of the ground and the support bars. 